The art of being human
Strangely I started writing this blog on Friday, before the events of yesterday unfolded.
I may be a couple of days late in mentioning Gordon Brown’s gaffe with Gillian Duffy, but what’s interested me is the reaction to it. Initial news reports suggested it had all but killed the Labour campaign, however it seems in reality it may have balanced out. A few votes lost by those who are appalled versus a few votes won from those who respect him a little bit more for seeing his human side.
There seems to be this belief that politicians are superheroes. They aren’t allowed to be human. The thought that Gordon Brown might take time out to watch X-Factor horrified me, only because I was disappointed he wasn’t a Strictly Come Dancing man. We are all complaining about the MPs scandal, yet we want people who are practically perfect in every way. Let’s face it even Mary Poppins who coined the term wouldn’t have been everyone’s cup of tea. We have come to an age in politics where many of those who do well are the ones who successfully hide their skeletons in a closet and are excellent at presenting themselves. This idea that if you’ve made mistakes in your past and/or have too much of a personality then you won’t make it as an MP, only serves to continue a legacy of MPs who are clever, calculating and careerist. We need more of the MPs who genuinely care about their constituents, their country and our place in the world. I say more because I believe that not all our current MPs are bad apples, there’s just a few who have given the rest of them a bad name.
I can forgive Brown’s “bigot” remark because he is only human. You must have been somewhere with work or at a party and someone has introduced you to someone else. You start talking and a few minutes in you are dying to escape because you just can’t work out how to politely disagree. When you finally do you head to the nearest friend you see and you let of steam about that awful person. Admit it, most of us have done this at least once, and possibly unfairly. Add into the mix a month long election campaign. When I ran for Vice President in the Student’s Union I had one week of campaigning. By day four I was exhausted and running on adrenaline. By now Gordon Brown (and all the others) must be exhausted. No person can work up to 16 hours a day, 7 days a week (or perhaps I’m being far too generous allowing them 8 hours to wind down and get some sleep) and be expected to be perfect all the time. We all make mistakes.
Gillian Duffy didn’t deserve to be called a bigot. Like so many of us she doesn’t necessarily understand all the ins and outs of immigration and the way she expresses her views are based on the information she is exposed to on a daily basis. We are lucky to live in a society that has a varied media, however it is also one that produces broadsheets and tabloids with political bias and often not the whole story. However, equally, Brown doesn’t deserve to be vilified for making one error in a long campaign. The saddest thing is that now Mrs Duffy is not intending to vote, and every non-vote is a benefit to the extreme right wing (there is a National Front candidate in her constituency).
This isn’t a pro-Labour blog. It’s a pro-MPs-being-allowed-to-be-human blog. Over the next 12 months it is more than likely I’ll join a party, I am no where near deciding which one yet. If I enjoy getting involved in local politics, perhaps in a decade or so I’ll consider standing as an MP. If I do that I can’t promise to be perfect, but I will promise to care and do everything I can to do the best for the people in my constituency and the UK. I believe that even with all my flaws and weaknesses that would be enough to get me elected.
Having started to write this blog on Friday, by sheer coincidence I met Gordon and Sarah Brown yesterday at Newcastle Station. It all happened rather quickly (as my photographic failures demonstrate!) and as I posted my vote on Friday my brain was a bit switched off from policies. All I could think of was to tell Sarah I enjoy reading her blog, which I do. It’s an interesting insight to the election campaign. Gordon came across as friendly and warm, he was eager to meet as many people as possible and even though my comment had nothing to do with policies and was directed at Sarah, he turned back and joined in the brief conversation. He didn’t come across as stiff, stand-offish or awkward, nor did he look exhausted like it came across on TV at the debate on Thursday evening. He just seemed to be a genuinely nice man.
The more I’ve seen of Cameron the more I’ve come to the conclusion that anything but a Conservative parliament is for the best. I may not be a fan of some of Labour policy, but I genuinely believe Gordon is a man who cares. If he remains Prime Minister I have the confidence that he will try to do the right thing, though I think right now I’m hoping for a hung parliament with a Labour and LibDem coalition so we get the best of both worlds. I’d hope they could work with the Green Party too.
I only wish I could have met Nick Clegg and Caroline Lucas too… but that’s just being greedy!
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